Record heat wave hits Europe July 2015

An extreme early summer heatwave re-wrote the record books across Europe during the end of June and beginning of July. Daily, monthly, and all-time records fell across the continent. Average temperatures for the week of June 28-July 4 were up to 12-13°F (7°C) above average across parts of Europe.

The jet stream, an area of fast moving winds 4 to 8 miles up in the atmosphere became incredibly wavy during the heat wave. … This allowed hot air from the tropics to move north and get trapped over Europe. Clear skies allowed for the temperatures to rise even further, creating a stronger dome of high pressure that pushed low pressure systems to the north, like a large boulder diverting water in a stream.